Brake-beam fulcrum and method of making the same



C. E. BAUER.

BRAKE BEAM FULCRUM AND METHOD OF MAKING THESAME. APPLICATION FILED ocr. 18. I920.

1,415,009, I -PatentedMay9,1922.

CARL n. BAUER, or HAMMOND, INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May e, 1922.

Application filed October 18, 1920. Serial'No. 417,640.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL E. BAUER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of -Hammond, in the county of Lake and State I devices.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a fulcrum which may be very economically produced and which will utilize to the fullest extent the strength of the ma terial employed.

It is customary, in the construction of devices of the kind described, to provide means at either end for attachment to or support of the compression and tension members of a truss. To that end it is customary to provide flanges or lateral projections which may be riveted to a channel or other angular compression member and at the opposite end a socket or saddle within which a rod forming the tension member may be seated. Various methods have been adopted for forging the saddle in the end of the fulcrum or strut and my invention relates particularly to this improvement.

The fulcrum and the method of producing it will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figs. 1 and 2 are edge and side views respectively of a blank such as employed;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the dies employed for the first operation;

Fig. 4 is a view taken at right angles to that of Fig. 3; and,

Figs. 5 and 6 are elevations partly in perspective showing the finished article.

In the drawings it will be seen that the fulcrum comprises two spaced apart members 10, 11, the extremities 12 of which are bent at right angles and constitute means of attachment to a brake beam channel, T or other shape, the angle portions or feet usually being riveted to the beam. The intermediate portions 10, 11 may be twisted, as shown, or they may remain straight, as occasion requires.

The saddle of the fulcrum is formed, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, by doubling the bar shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and pressing the seat or saddle therein. As shown in Figs.

8 and 4 the dies may comprise upper and lower members 13, 14, respectively, of such shape as to forge or press the bar into the dotted line shape shown in Fig. 3. In a subsequent die operation the side members 10, ll are pressed inwardly to form the neck port on 15, this serving to bring the connectlng portion of the bar into contact with the sides of the saddle, as best shown in Fig. 6. Thus the saddle or socket is composed by a double thickness of metal and a very strong and rigid construction is assured. The actual seat 16 of the saddle will be curved to correspond to the curvature of the tension rod at that point, and generally the outer contour of the saddle portion will be similarly curved. When the device is formed as described and the apertures 17 are made for the reception of the brake rod pivot pin the fulcrum is ready for service. When the operation is carried out as described there will be little, if any, flaring or spreading' of metal at the point of the saddle, neither will any portions thereof be upset, sufficient strength being provided by utilizing the original section of metal.

Obviously the invention is capable of considerable modification but I do not. wish to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of forging fulcrums which consists in bending a flat bar into substantially U-shape and simultaneously forming a saddle in the doubled-up end thereof, then pressing the portions of metal contiguous to the saddle into engagement with the sides of the saddle.

2. The method of making brake beam fulcrums which consists in providing a straight rectangular bar, doubling the bar on itself and forging a curved socket in the doubled up end, then supporting the sides of the socket thus formed by pressing the metal of the bar into engagement therewith.

3. The method of making brake beam fulcrums which consists in forging a flat bar into U-shape and providing a saddle at one end and attaching feet at the other end, the portion between the two ends being in the form of spaced apart struts, said saddle being formed by forging a socket having a curved bottom and flaring sides, then pressing the metal outside of the socket into en gagement with the flaring sides.

4. A brake beam fulcrum. cons st ng Of a.-

pair of spaced apart bars providing means at one end for attachment to a compresslon member and having a saddle 1n the opposite end, sald saddle being composed of metal formed by doub n a bar upon itsel' said t r.n i,-

saddle having a curved bottom and flaring sides, the metal adjacent to the sides ofthe saddle serving to support said sides.

5. A brake beam fulcrum consisting of a single bar doubled upon itself to provide 10 spaced apart struts, and a saddle in one end thereof, said saddle having flaring sides, the metal adjacent said sides being bent inwardly and serving to support the same.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day 15 of October, 1920.

CARL E. BAUER. 

